


Gravity Universe

by RockSunner



Category: Gravity Falls, Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure, Aliens, Alternate Timelines, Crossover Pairings, F/F, F/M, Humor, Mystery, Romance, Shared Universe, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-13 07:32:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,526
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3373046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RockSunner/pseuds/RockSunner
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a cross-over between "Gravity Falls" and "Steven Universe." The Crystal Gems have come to Gravity Falls to check out a recent energy spike. Can Mabel and Dipper help them save the world? All characters belong to Alex Hirsch and Rebecca Sugar, not me.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Arrival In Gravity Falls

The Crystal Gems transported onto a platform surrounded by thick woods.

"Spread out and keep your eyes open," said Garnet, the tall and taciturn leader with an Afro hairstyle and mirror shades over her three eyes.

"What are we looking for, again?" asked young Steven Universe, the youngest member of the Crystal Gems whose gem powers were still unreliable. Even so, his pluckiness and creativity had proven useful time after time.

"Thirty years ago, we detected a powerful energy spike in this part of the world," said Pearl, the pale and willowy member of the Crystal Gems. She had a sharp nose and a white crystal on her forehead. Her intelligence and grace in battle were extraordinary, although she could get flustered easily. "According to my measurements it was unlike any of our normal sources. We couldn't pinpoint a location then, but recently the spike happened again and the energy flow has persisted, so that we could trace it here."

"Chill, you guys," said Amethyst, the BBW group member with long, flowing purple hair. She tended to be the wild one of the bunch. "These woods look sweet to explore. Let's have fun while we do this."

"I'm with you, Amethyst," said Steven.

"Steven, stick close to her," said Garnet. "This could get dangerous."

"And fun," said Amethyst.

"So what do you guys think is going on?" asked Steven.

"Hybrid technology, perhaps," said Pearl. "A renegade Gem, turned monster, may have illegally shared our technology with humans."

"Isn't sharing a good thing?" asked Steven.

"Our laws say no unnecessary contact with humans," said Garnet.

"I break that by wrestling as the Purple Puma," said Amethyst. "But hey, rules are made to be broken."

"Our ancient structures have built-in wards that turn humans away without them even realizing it, for their own safety," said Pearl. "Remember how the Pizza family said they had never been to our part of the beach, even though it's a small island? They couldn't have come there at all without an invitation from you, Steven."

Steven looked upset, "B-but, what about my Mom? Was her loving my dad illegal? Am I... an unnecessary contact?"

"What Rose did was... unique," said Pearl. "But..."

"The two of you were really pissed when she started dating Greg," Amethyst said. "I was cool with it."

"But now that you're here, we accept you, of course," said Pearl hastily.

"That's creepy," said Steven. "You guys came here from space, put up buildings and had wars all over the place, and you never talked with the people who really belong on this planet? My Mom did the right thing, reaching out to people, and you said it was wrong."

"Steven, you are too young to understand our ways," said Garnet.

"You're right, I don't and maybe I don't want to," said Steven. "Leave me alone! I have to think."

He ran off into the woods. The others were about to follow, when dozens of bull-headed men came out of the woods and surrounded them.

"We Manotaurs don't like it when females pester a boy-child," said the leader. "Attack them!"

Amethyst drew her whip from her gem, Pearl drew her spear from hers, and Garnet activated her power gauntlets.

"I don't detect any gems," said Garnet.

"So they're either rare native fauna or monster-spawn," said Pearl.

Amethyst grinned and said, "Just what we needed, a little combat to work off our frustrations. You boys just bit off more that you could chew."

* * *

Steven ran until he found a road. He followed it to a two-story, run-down wooden building with a sign on top reading "Mystery Shack."

Two kids about his age were playing in the yard, throwing a spinning disk back and forth.

"Hi!" Steven called out. "I'm Steven Universe. Want to be friends?"

"Sure!" said the girl. "I'm Mabel."

"I'm Dipper," said the boy. "Are you a tourist? Where are your folks?"

"I'm with the Crystal Gems," said Steven. "At least, I thought I was but I'm not sure I really belong."

"Is that a band?" asked Mabel. "It sounds like one."

"We have a band," said Steven. "Steven and the Crystal Gems. I play guitar and sing."

"Cool!" said Mabel. "A boy rock star. If you were a little older..."

"Are you guys going to give a concert around here?" asked Dipper

"I wish, but we're here on a mission," said Steven. "We investigate mysteries and save the world from monsters."

"How about that?" said Mabel. "So do we!"

"Really?" said Steven. "You've seen monsters around here? Maybe you could help us."

"Yeah, big time," said Mabel. "Gnomes, vampires, zombies, you name it."

"Mabel, I'm not sure we should talk about this with outsiders," said Dipper.

"You're just like the Crystal Gems," said Steven. "If nobody talks to anybody, how are we going to team up and beat the monsters?"

"All right, I'll give you a chance," said Dipper. "If you want to know about monsters in Gravity Falls, you've come to the right place."


	2. Gems and Glows

Gems and Glows

Mabel asked Steven, "How old are you?"

"I'm twelve," he told her.

"That's the same age as me and my brother," said Mabel. "For some reason I thought you were younger. I begin to see possibilities for you, though I usually like my guys older."

"I can look older if I try, but it's not good for me to do that. I'm as old as I feel," said Steven.

"I know what you mean," said Mabel. "I want to stay a fun-loving kid as long as I can. My brother here wants to grow up too fast. He's twelve going on thirty."

"Just because I take things seriously..." said Dipper.

"It's different for me. It's all because of this gem I got from my mother," said Steven. He lifted his shirt with the yellow star on it and showed them the rosy crystal on his stomach.

"Ooh, a sparkly," said Mabel. "You bezazzled your belly. You skallywag, you've got my interest now for sure."

"Can we change the subject, please?" said Dipper. "We were talking about a monster investigation. What sort of monster are you looking for?"

"They can be almost any shape," said Steven. "Usually they have sharp points on them somewhere. The one I knew best had a single eye in the middle of its mouth."

"Sharp corners? Single eye? Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Mabel?" asked Dipper.

"Bill Cipher!" they both said together.

"Who is that?" asked Steven.

"A dream demon who's been after us," said Dipper. "He's shaped like the Eye in the Pyramid on a dollar bill. First he tried to steal a safe combination from our Grunkle Stan's mind, and then later he offered me a deal to learn the secrets of the universe from a laptop we found."

"A deal you took," said Mabel. "But I blame the lack of sleep."

"My days were taken up with your puppet play," said Dipper. "So I had to stay up all those nights."

"My bad," said Mabel.

"Let's just say I made a huge mistake and I nearly lost everything," said Dipper. "I did lose the laptop; Bill smashed it. He said I was too close to his secrets."

"Maybe Pearl could fix your laptop and we could find out whatever his secrets are. She's good with technology."

"How good?" asked Dipper.

"She rebuilt my Dad's car after it was smashed up," Steven said. "And she built a working rocket ship from spare parts that almost made it into space."

"Pretty good. That's better than our handyman could do," said Mabel.

"All right, we can let her try," said Dipper. "By the way, how did you happen to be looking for monsters around here in the first place?"

"The Crystal Gems detected a big energy surge here, the night of the sixteenth," said Steven.

"Hmm, what was going on then?" Dipper pondered. "We had just gotten the Mystery Shack fixed up again. That was the night Grunkle Stan borrowed my journal."

"I remember having a dream that night, that there was a glowing blue light all around me," said Mabel.

"I remember a dream like that," said Dipper. "I think it was that same night."

"The blue light might have been the energy surge. We need to find the other Gems and let them know about this lead," said Steven. "Come on, they're back in the woods this way."

"I'm with you, Steven," said Mabel. "Coming, Dipper?"

"Yes, I'm coming" said Dipper. "Maybe we can make some progress with our mysteries. Let me get the laptop, too. The disk drive might still be readable with the right equipment."

"If anyone can read it, Pearl can," said Steven.


	3. Portal to Beach City

By the time the Pine twins arrived at the clearing to meet the Crystal Gems, the Manotaurs had already returned to their caves to lick their wounds (literally).

"Hey, Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl!" Steven called out. "I found some locals who may have seen the monster we're looking for."

"Wow," said Mabel. "It's awesome to meet real rock stars. I'm Mabel Pines and this is my brother, Dipper. You're too late for the Woodstick festival, but welcome to Gravity Falls anyway."

"Aw, too bad we missed the festival," said Amethyst.

"We prefer to be called Gems rather than Rocks," said Pearl. "We are the Crystal Gems."

"Tell us where to find the monster. We will defeat it and be on our way," said Garnet.

"If it's Bill Cipher you want, he's not that easy to find," said Dipper. "He's in the Dreamscape and he isn't solid, unless he's possessing someone."

"Like you," said Mabel.

Dipper shuddered. " Otherwise he just appears in dreams."

"Describe what you see in the dreams," said Pearl.

"He's a one-eyed yellow pyramid, with a bow tie and a black top hat," said Mabel. "A snappy-dressed Dorito."

Garnet frowned. "Sounds like a form Tourmaline would use."

"Bad news," said Amethyst.

"Who's Tourmaline?" asked Dipper.

"An insane Gem, a resistance leader," said Garnet.

"Tourmaline can do dream projections," Pearl said. "She has a physical gem to project from, but it could be hidden anywhere in this area. This could be a long and difficult investigation."

"They have another clue," said Steven. "Dipper, show them the laptop."

Dipper presented the broken laptop "Bill, er, Tourmaline smashed it up. I think the drive was in the process of being erased, but there's a chance the smashing stopped the erasing."

Pearl took it. "I can try to read it, but I'll need equipment I only have back home."

"When are you going back home?" Mabel asked. "And where do you live?"

"Right now," said Garnet.

"Beach City, Delaware. We should take you with us," said Steven.

"What?" said Dipper.

"Are you sure of that, Steven?" asked Amethyst.

"If you need to ask them questions, wouldn't it be safer?" asked Steven. "Tourmaline might come after them while we're gone."

"Wait a second," said Dipper. "You can't just take us out-of-state. That's kid-"

Amethyst had Mabel and Dipper, one under each arm, in an instant. Everyone went through the portal.

"...napping," said Dipper.

Amethyst released her hold. The twins looked around in astonishment.

"We've been abducted by aliens!" said Mabel. "Are you going to probe us? I hope so!"

"Don't worry," said Steven. "We're friendly, and I'm half human. We'll get you back home soon."

"Steven, why don't you show them around the island while I get to work on the laptop?" said Pearl.

"Sure," said Steven. "Come on, guys."

The twins stumbled after Steven. As they came out of the front door, Dipper turned around and looked up at the gigantic multi-armed statue that dominated the landscape.

"This is unbelievable," said Dipper. "Weird things are always happening to us, but this is the weirdest yet. It's like when we got pulled into the future."

"I sure know how to pick boyfriends, don't I?" said Mabel.

"Where would you like to go first?" asked Steven.

"Home," said Dipper.

"I'm kind of hungry after this big shock," said Mabel. "Could we get something to eat?"

Steven had grabbed his ukulele as they passed through the house, and now he began to sing:

"Mabel, this island has great food for you.  
If you're hungry for pizza, try the Fish Stew.  
As a special treat to stuff your face  
Try the fry bits at Fryman's place.  
But best of all from here to Mars  
Is the Big Donut with Sadie and Lars."

"You made up that song just for me?" said Mabel. "I think I do like you, half-alien abductor. I would like donuts, please."

"F-fries for me, I guess," said Dipper.

They got to Beach Citywalk Fries first.

"There's a guy here you ought to meet, Dipper," said Steven. "Hey Ronaldo, are you back there?"

A young man with curly yellow hair came to the counter. "Yes, Steven?"

"This is Dipper, a visitor from Gravity Falls, Oregon" said Steven. "He's a man after your own heart, an investigator of the paranormal."

"Have you seen my blog, 'Keep Beach City Weird'?" Ronaldo asked.

"We can't get much web access in Gravity Falls," said Dipper. "But I bet we could match your town for weirdness."

"Yeah? Come back in here and I'll show you my work. Maybe you could add a Gravity Falls page."

"Will you be all right, Mabel?" Dipper asked.

"I'll be fine. Go ahead and blog," said Mabel.

As Mabel and Steven continued walking toward the Big Donut, Steven greeted a young woman wearing glasses (or at least glasses frames).

"Hi, Connie," he said.

"Hi, Steven," said Connie. "Who is this with you?"

"I'm Mabel. Steven abducted me and we're on a date to get donuts."

"It's not a date, exactly," said Steven.

"But you did abduct her?" said Connie. "I'll leave you two alone."

She walked rapidly away.

"So, a jealous rival?" asked Mabel.

"She's my best friend. I'll have to explain to her later," said Steven.

They arrived at the donut shop.

"Hi Sadie. Hi Lars," said Steven.

"Hi, Steven," said Sadie with a smile.

"Hi, squirt," said Lars.

"Cool skin earrings," said Mabel to Lars. "How did you do that?"

"None of your business," said Lars.

"He did it by piercing and stretching them," said Sadie.

Lars made an angry noise. There seemed to be tension between him and Sadie.

"I wish I could do that," said Mabel.

"It takes months," said Sadie. "Would your mom allow that?"

"No," said Mabel. "I have to go home after the summer and then she'd kill me."

They ordered a dozen assorted donuts to take home to the Gems, and collected Dipper on the way back. Pearl was waiting for them when they arrived at the house.

"The disk is nearly completely erased, but I managed to read a bit of it," Pearl said. "I wanted to ask you if any of these names sound familiar."

She read to them, "We're about to start a new investigation. Once we get permission from the local landowner, we're going to dig for the source of the strange energies my detector picked up below ground. I'm dedicating this new laptop for this research. It looks like it could be a real breakthrough. Unlike my co-investigators, Despard and Margaret, I choose to record notes in a modern laptop instead of in hand-written journals. The Conifers are brilliant but eccentric, especially the sister."

"The laptop seems to be owned by a Fiddleford Hadron McGucket," said Pearl. Do you know him, or the Conifers?"

"We know McGucket," said Dipper. "Despard and Margaret Conifer, I'm not so sure about."

"They sound like fake names to me," said Mabel.

"Like fake names we might come up with for ourselves," said Dipper. "Initials D and M, like us. And a pine is a kind of conifer."

"Could the authors be... us?" asked Mabel.


	4. Secrets of Tourmaline

_"We know McGucket," said Dipper. "Despard and Margaret Conifer, I'm not so sure about."_

_"They sound like fake names to me," said Mabel._

_"Like fake names we might come up with for ourselves," said Dipper. "Initials D and M, like us. And a pine is a kind of conifer."_

_"Could the authors be... us?" asked Mabel._

"You think these authors are yourselves gone back in time?" asked Steven. "It's possible to go back, and even meet yourselves, but it's not a good idea."

"It sounds like you're speaking from personal experience," said Dipper.

"Did you go back in time?" asked Mabel.

"Yes, and I had to watch myself die," said Steven.

"Brrr," said Mabel. "Your adventures are scarier than ours. We just taught a pioneer family how to high-five."

"Never mind the past for now," said Garnet. "We need to continue our investigation of what Tourmaline may be up to in Gravity Falls in the present."

"We have traced the anomalous signals to 618 Gopher Road," said Pearl. "Do you two happen to know who lives there?"

"We live there," said Dipper. "That's the address of the Mystery Shack."

"You do?" asked Amethyst, clenching her fists. "Start talking. What Gem tech did Tourmaline give you?"

"We're just there for the summer," said Mabel quickly. "Our Grunkle Stan lives there all the time. But he's innocent... of alien stuff you'd be interested in, anyway."

"We need to talk to him," said Garnet. "Come on, you two, we're taking you back home through the portal."

* * *

Grunkle Stan was there when they entered the gift shop.

"Welcome to the Mystery Shack, unusually-dressed tourists," said Stan. "You look like you have money. This is the best place in town to spend it. We have bobble-heads, snow-globes..."

Pearl interrupted, "What we want to see is alien technology. We know you have it here."

"I have some UFO key chains, if that's what you're looking for. Right this way," said Stan.

The Crystal Gems looked angry and started to go for their weapons.

"Please don't hurt him!" Mabel said.

"Grunkle Stan, these are real aliens. They have all sorts of powers. They teleported us across the country and back. They could get dangerous if you don't tell them what you know," said Dipper.

"Real aliens? And what am I supposed to tell them?" asked Stan.

"You could tell them what you know about Despard and Margaret Conifer, for one thing," said Dipper.

"Who?" asked Stan.

"Don't lie," said Pearl. "We got their names from the crude magnetic storage unit of this device."

Pearl showed the damaged laptop.

"Okay, so I knew some people with those names," said Stan. "They left town long ago."

"Did they look like Dipper and me?" asked Mabel.

"Now that you mention it, there was a strong resemblance to the two of you," said Stan. "But Despard had six fingers on his right hand. He said it was because of a curse by a leprecorn. But he was crazy, paranoid from all the strange things he'd seen."

"What about Margaret?" asked Mabel.

"Crazy too, but angry and bitter all the time," said Stan. "Nothing like your bubbly personality. Her hair was brown and bushy like yours, but only shoulder length."

"Maybe we're doomed to become like that," said Dipper.

"What we need to know is if they had contact with an alien entity who gave them advanced technology. It might have appeared to them in dreams, as a yellow triangle with one eye," said Pearl.

"I've had some dreams like that, nightmares," said Stan. "I made some of those dream guys into stained-glass windows and other decorations to make this place look weirder. It didn't give me any super tech. I wish it had; I could have sold it."

"Did the Conifers leave any experimental inventions here?" asked Garnet.

"Grunkle Stan, what about that Electron Carpet that was in the hidden room?" asked Dipper. "It was marked Experiment 78."

"I threw that out," said Stan.

"I saw it in the attic," said Dipper.

"Oh yeah... I guess I meant to throw it out and put it up in the attic junk pile instead," said Stan.

"Show us this carpet," said Amethyst.

"Come on, I'll show you," said Mabel. "Our bedroom is up there."

"May I see your bedroom?" asked Steven.

"Of course, cutie," said Mabel. "What a flirt you are."

The Crystal Gems and Mabel went upstairs, while Dipper stayed back with Stan.

"Don't tell these folks anything else, kid," said Stan. "I smell law enforcement. They'll destroy anything they find."

There was an electronic zapping sound from upstairs, and the smell of burning carpet.

"See what I mean?" said Stan.

The Gems came back. Steven and Mabel weren't with with them.

"That mind-swapping carpet was built from Gem technology," said Garnet. "Anything else?'

Dipper thought of the copying machine, but shook his head.

Mabel came in, wearing a different sweater. This was her dark blue sweater with a prism on it, with a rainbow coming out of the prism. Steven was with her.

"Hi again," said Mabel. "I showed Steven our room and took the time to change sweaters."

"That sweater!" said Garnet. "A symbol of Tourmaline."

"You're right," said Pearl. "Tourmaline is known as the Rainbow Gem. Her gem is a prism like that. She likes to place it where it will produce spectra."

"There was a prism like that in the secret hidden room, the same place we found the Electron Carpet," Dipper blurted out, earning an angry look from Stan.

"Let's go!" said Amethyst. "Maybe we'll find Tourmaline still there!"

Dipper led the way, but on the way he told them, "I don't know if it's still there... Soos redecorated the whole room into a break room and fix-it workshop."

Soos was in the room when Amethyst charged in first. The room was full of tools, odd projects, and movie posters, but no prism.

"Hi, purple lady dude," said Soos. "What's up?"

"Name's Amethyst. Do you have a shiny rock shaped like a pyramid in here?"

"Umm, I like shiny stuff. Let me think," said Soos. "Oh yeah, I took it home the other day. I thought my Abuelita might like it."

"Where's your home?" asked Garnet. "Your wife Abuelita might be in danger from it."

"Abuelita is his grandmother," Dipper explained. "Soos, we have to go to your house and check on her."

"Oh no, poor Abuelita," said Soos. "We'll go in my truck."

The Crystal Gems and the twins piled into the truck and Soos set off, driving fast.

* * *

When they got to 32 Chambrot Drive, Soos got out first and called "Abeulita! Where are you?"

"Here, mi hijo," the elderly woman called. "What is wrong?"

Her head was down, vacuuming the carpet, when the twins and the Crystal Gems came into the room.

"Tourmaline! Let go of that body!" called Amethyst. "Or else!"

Abuelita looked up, revealing yellow slitted eyes.

"Or else what?" The voice was familiar to Mabel and Dipper. Bill's voice.

"We can force you out," said Pearl. "That body looks vulnerable."

"No!" said Soos, getting in front of her. "Don't hurt my Abuelita."

"No!" said Steven, also getting in front. "I won't let you."

"You should listen to the human and Rose," said Tourmaline through Abuelita. "I have a deal you don't want to miss."

"What could you possibly have to offer us, you traitor?" asked Garnet.

"I have a way off this planet, one that doesn't require the Gem Network," said Tourmaline.

Pearl gasped. The other Crystal Gems looked surprised and worried.

"What's going on, guys?" asked Steven.


	5. Opening the Portal

_"You should listen to the human and Rose," said Tourmaline through Abuelita. "I have a deal you don't want to miss."_

_"What could you possibly have to offer us, you traitor?" asked Garnet._

_"I have a way off this planet, one that doesn't require the Gem Network," said Tourmaline._

_Pearl gasped. The other Crystal Gems looked surprised and worried._

_"What's going on, guys?" asked Steven._

"It's funny, coming from you, to call me a traitor," said Tourmaline. "You Crystal Gems are traitors to your species, blocking our conquest of this planet six thousand years ago."

"What? You're alien invaders?" asked Dipper.

"The Gems are an interstellar virus," said Pearl. "We have taken over countless other planets, leaving no life forms there but ourselves."

"Yikes!" said Mabel.

Steven said, "I kind of knew that, but when you think about it, it's... I don't know, something awful."

"But Rose Quartz loved the diversity of life on this planet and chose to fight the invasion," said Amethyst. "That's what they told me, anyway. I'm one of the few Kindergarten babies who spawned here and didn't turn into a monster, because they took me in."

"They might show some leniency to you, as a misguided child," said Tourmaline. "But the others will certainly be executed if they are ever caught. They are all traitors."

"You're worse. You pretended to join our cause, and even became second in command under Rose," said Pearl. "Then you turned on us."

"Of course I did, hoping to be rewarded by Homeworld for infiltrating and destroying a nest of traitors."

"But then I became a full-time fusion, enhancing my future vision," said Garnet. "I exposed you and you had to flee for your miserable life."

"After you won the final battle, you broke the platforms connecting us to the outside. It's a self-imposed prison, a gulag of a world," said Tourmaline. "We're going mad here. And that's where my offer comes in. I have a way out."

"What way?" asked Pearl. She couldn't hide the eagerness in her voice.

"The human Stan Pines has been working with me to create a Portal, in a secret basement below his home. We used the remains of an old Gem ship, damaged in battle, that crashed here and was buried underground."

Amethyst hissed in anger. "He lied to us."

"Portal? Secret basement?" Dipper asked.

"Our Grunkle Stan would never do something like that without telling us!" said Mabel.

"Don't believe me? I'll show it to you," said Tourmaline.

* * *

When they arrived back at the Mystery Shack they found it surrounded by special ops agents. Government agents Powers and Trigger had Stan bent over the hood of the car, being handcuffed.

"What did I do that warrants this much arresting?" asked Stan.

"The government guys? I thought you got eaten by zombies!" said Dipper.

Trigger said, "We survived. Barely."

Powers said, "I used Trigger as a human shield. He cried like a baby."

"What? Hey! Not in front of the special-ops guys!" said Trigger.

Pearl came up to them. "This is a Crystal Gems matter now. We have a treaty with your government so that they will never interfere with us."

"Yeah, so back off," said Amethyst.

"Release this man to our custody," said Garnet.

Trigger released Stan from the handcuffs. The agents and special-ops men prepared to leave.

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Powers. "This man stole radioactive waste, and he has created a doomsday device that could destroy the world."

"What?" said Mabel in disbelief.

"How could you do this and hide it from us?" asked Dipper.

"You don't know your uncle at all, son," said Powers. "He's not what he seems."

"I'm innocent, I tell ya," said Stan.

* * *

Stan's protests of innocence died away when Tourmaline showed them how to open the passage behind the vending machine.

"This is like a dream," said Mabel.

"Or a nightmare," said Dipper.

They got down into the Portal room, which was full of humming machinery. There was a countdown going, showing only a few hours left.

"Cool!" said Steven.

"Scary," said Mabel.

Dipper looked on a side table. "The _other_ two journals? All this time... all this time, you had them? Was anything you said to us real?"

Stan said, "I can explain..."

"Don't bother, it would just be more lies," said Dipper. "You've been helping an alien who wants to destroy the planet."

"The Portal is almost ready to use," said Tourmaline. "With the right adjustments, we can get it open faster."

"This can really get us off-planet?" asked Pearl. "I've been wanting that for so long."

"Pearl!" said Garnet. "You can't work with Tourmaline."

Pearl turned on her, "She's right about one thing. I'm going mad here. I could crack and become a monster at any time. I need connection with other Gems, if only from a distance."

"You have us," said Amethyst.

"It's not enough. You and I are too incompatible. Garnet has her own stable fusion," said Pearl. "It was all right being stuck here as long as I had Rose, but then..."

"Then I happened," said Steven sadly. "I took her place."

"Nice as you are, Steven, it's just not the same," said Pearl.

By this time, Dipper had opened the three journals to the code pages, and looked at them under black light.

"We have to shut this down!" Dipper said, "There are warnings here that say it could destroy the world!"

Tourmaline pushed Dipper aside and made some adjustments to the controls. The countdown leaped ahead, and as it did there was a gravitational anomaly. Everyone was suddenly floating.

Dipper pushed off from the wall and swam through the air to a panel on the side of the room.

"Over here is the emergency shut-off," Dipper called. "I need two others to help turn the keys. Soos, Mabel?"

"Good, turn it off," said Garnet.

"Don't turn it off!" said Stan. "Please believe me, this is for the good of the family."

"Don't turn it off!" said Pearl. "I want to use it."

"But it could destroy the world!" said Steven.

"The danger is exaggerated, but whether it is or not, I'm getting out of here," said Tourmaline. "Don't try to stop me or I'll hurt this hostage body."

"No! Don't hurt my Abuelita!" Soos said.

"If Tourmaline is prepared to leave right now, she must have her gem on her," said Dipper. "She can't leave it behind, right?"

"Where could it be?" asked Pearl.

"In her big hairstyle!" said Steven.

Amethyst said "Got it!" and snapped her whip, knocking the prismatic gem free.

Forced to defend her gem, Tourmaline abandoned her possession of Abuelita and took solid form. She had a triangular head like Peridot, but her skin was iridescent yellow, red, and blue. She projected her weapon, an ax that could fire a fiery blue beam.

The Crystal Gems began fighting among themselves in the zero gravity. In spite of being outnumbered, Tourmaline was a formidable fighter. She knocked back both Amethyst and Garnet while Pearl hesitated.

Gravity came back. Dipper, Mabel, and Soos turned the keys and released a red emergency shut-off button on a pedestal.

"Don't turn it off!" Stan shouted again. "But someone needs to come in, not go out. If anyone jumps through it will go unstable for sure."

"T minus twenty seconds," announced the computer.

Mabel and Dipper rushed toward the red button. Pearl and Stan did also. Mabel made it there first, and Steven threw a pink force bubble around it. It was just in time, since Tourmaline fired a beam at Mabel that would have killed her.

"I trust Mabel to make the decision," said Steven.

Pearl moved toward the Portal, hesitating.

"Pearl, please don't leave. It'll kill us, and you'll be even more alone," said Steven.

Dipper called out, "Go! Mabel, press the red button! Shut it down!"

"No, you can't!" called Stan. "You gotta trust me!"

Gravity went off again. Mabel was crying, and the tears from her eyes floated up. She held onto the button pedestal.

"Grunkle Stan, I wanna believe you, but-"

"Then listen to me. Everything I've worked for, everything I care about, it's all for this family!"

Amethyst finally got her whip around Tourmaline, and Garnet landed a solid blow with her gauntlets, shattering the gem. Tourmaline faded away, leaving only shards for someone to bubble later.

"T minus ten seconds," said the computer.

Dipper said, "Mabel, what if he's lying? This thing could destroy the universe! Listen to your head!"

"Look into my eyes, Mabel! You really think I'm a bad guy?" asked Stan.

"He's lying! Shut it down NOW!" yelled Dipper.

"Mabel, please!" called Stan.

"You know them Mabel," said Steven. "I trust you to decide."

Mabel looked back and forth between them. As the countdown reached three, she let go of the pedestal and floated up.

"Grunkle Stan, I trust you," said Mabel.

"Stay Pearl. We love you," said Steven.

Pearl sighed and turned away from the Portal instead of jumping into it.

Dipper yelled, "MABEL, ARE YOU CRAZY?! WE'RE ALL GONNA- "

There was a flash of light from the portal and everything went white. All floated unconscious for a few seconds as a massive gravitational anomaly shook the house and the town. Then it was over and everyone landed on the floor.

Two muffled figures came through the damaged Portal, a man and a woman. The man picked up one of the journals from the floor with a six-fingered hand.

"What...? Who _are_ they?" asked Dipper.

"The authors of the Journals," said Stan.

The two new arrivals pulled back their hoods, revealing adult faces that resembled Dipper and Mabel.

"Your future selves," said Stan.

"Is this the part where one of us faints?" asked Mabel.

"Ohoho, I am so on it, dude," said Soos, falling to the floor in a faint.

"Me too," said Steven, fainting beside him.


	6. Resolution

"Grandpa Stanley!" said Future Dipper to Stan. "It's good to be back, but you risked the world for us."

"It paid off, kid," said Stan.

"So, you're the happy version of me," said Future Mabel with a scowl at Mabel. "You're the lucky one who got to keep Waddles."

"You didn't?" asked Mabel.

Future Dipper said, "We were caught messing around in time and I never changed the timeline back to one where I hit Wendy in the eye with a ball and lost her to Robbie."

"So you're not our direct future," said Dipper. "We're not fated to become you."

"No, we're versions of you from a parallel timeline," said Future Dipper. "You're free to have your own future."

Steven said, "I know about parallel timelines. It once happened to me. Once you change your own past, anything can happen. It can get really bad."

"I know. I never got Waddles," said Future Mabel.

"That's not the most important thing," said Future Dipper.

"It is important! It spoiled my happiness forever," said Future Mabel.

"The big thing was, we set off a chain of events in the past that killed Grandpa Stan's brother, our real Grunkle Stanford, while he was traveling around the world researching strange creatures. He was killed by a Gem Monster in his twenties."

"You killed my brother?" asked Stan. "You never told me that."

"We didn't mean to," said Future Mabel.

"The world is a dangerous place for humans to explore, because of all the Gems that hatched untrained, that became monsters," said Garnet.

"Except for me," said Amthyst. "I was healed and trained by the Crystal Gems."

"I'm still not sure how it happened," said Future Dipper. "It may have been Mabel's meddling with the pioneer family on the Oregon Trail."

"I think you must have stepped on a butterfly in Jurassic times," said Future Mabel. "That's what usually does it in time travel stories."

"Because we affected a relative of ours who was critical to the timeline, we had to do community service for the Time Anomaly Removal Crew instead of going to time jail," said Future Dipper.

"We had to go back in time and take his place in history," said Future Mabel.

"I had to write the Journals that he would have written," said Future Dipper.

"I helped with the art," said Future Mabel.

"We met a creature, a nice one, we thought: Bill Cipher, a.k.a. Tourmaline," said Future Dipper. "With his/her help we built the Portal."

"Little did we know it was all a trick to get off the Earth and back to Gem Homeworld," said Future Mabel.

"That would have been a disaster for Earth," said Pearl. "The invasion could have been re-started."

"We figured out Bill was up to no good. We rigged the Portal to send us to another dimension instead, and jumped through," said Future Dipper. "Our two assistants shut it down, and went away with two of the Journals so the Portal couldn't be opened again. The first Journal was left here, because it contained warnings about the Portal that anyone who found it needed to know."

"I found the warnings all right, but I had to try to get you kids back anyway," said Stan.

"That was very risky," said Future Dipper. "It could have destroyed the world."

"But I'm glad you did," said Future Mabel. "That other dimension was dangerous. We just survived day to day."

"Will you be able to stay here with us now?" asked Dipper. "Or do you have to go back to your own timeline right away."

"We can stay for a while," said Future Dipper.

"Great, I have lots of questions to ask you about the Journal," said Dipper.

"And I'm hoping to spend some quality time with Waddles, if Mabel is willing to share," said Future Mabel.

"I'm very willing to share, sister from the future," said Mabel. "Prepare to have some fun again!"

"It's good to meet you, dudes," said Soos. "But now I gotta get my Abuelita home."

Soos helped his Abuelita to her feet and they left by the elevator.

"Aren't you glad you didn't go through now, Pearl?" asked Steven. "It would have taken you someplace with no other Gems at all."

"Oh dear," said Pearl.

"The Portal needs to be destroyed completely," said Garnet. "I want no chance of it being repaired."

"Yeah, let's smash it!" said Amethyst.

Pearl sighed at this, but she nodded.

"That's fine with me," said Stan. "All I wanted was to get my family back."

The Crystal Gems set to work demolishing the Portal.

Regular Mabel said, "You see, Dipper. I was right to trust Grunkle Stan. If I didn't, I wouldn't have saved the future us."

"I guess so," said Dipper. "I'm angry that you trusted Stan more than me, but you were right."

"The Portal is no more," said Pearl. "I still don't know what I'm going to do, to keep myself from going mad. I miss Rose Quartz so much."

"We all miss her," said Amethyst.

"I loved her," said Pearl.

Steven said, "I didn't realize how unhappy you were, and how lonely."

"Rose fell in love with a human," said Pearl. "Then she became pregnant and left you in her place."

"I'm sorry I'm not her," said Steven. "I'm just me."

"And I love you dearly, Steven," said Pearl. "Caring for you is one thing that helps keep me sane."

"You could do what my mother did," said Steven. "You could find a human to love."

"Me? Love a human?" asked Pearl. She blushed blue.

"There are lots of us," said Mabel. "It's a much bigger dating pool than your little group of Gems."

"You have a point," said Pearl. "But humans are so... ephemeral. We Gems live so much longer."

"We have pets we love," said Mabel. "They don't live as long as we do."

"You're a totally different species," said Pearl.

"Rose did it. So could you," said Steven.

"Maybe," said Pearl.

"I could help you. I know a lot about inter-species romance," said Mabel. "I've dated gnomes, vampires, a merman, a bunch of clones, and now Steven."

Steven said, "We're not exactly dating... I like you, but I'm afraid of making Connie jealous."

"How serious are you and Connie?" asked Mabel.

"Just friends, but..." said Steven.

Garnet said, "You're young, Steven. Just because you fused with Connie once, you shouldn't be afraid to experiment with other relationships. My Ruby and Sapphire had other fusions before me."

"What are fusions?" asked Dipper.

"Fusion is something Gems do," said Pearl. "Being one body with another."

"You fu-fused with Connie? So that's what they call it..." said Mabel. "She's your girlfriend. I won't be the other woman."

"It's not what you think," said Steven.

"Whatever," said Mabel. "It's too close for me. You led me on, you two-timer."

"I didn't mean to," said Steven. "Girls are confusing."

"You know it, brother," said Dipper.

"Hmmph!" said Mabel.

"Back to the idea of dating humans," said Pearl. "The thought of doing what Rose did, maybe losing my identity to a child... it terrifies me."

"More than losing yourself by becoming a monster?" asked Garnet. "When we found Rose's sword in Lion's mane, and you left, I looked with future vision. There was a possibility that if I let Steven go after you that he would never return, and neither would you. But if I didn't let him go, then the probability was even stronger that you would never return, and we would next meet you as a monster."

"I came very close," said Pearl. "But Steven reached out and helped me."

"Just get to be friends with some humans," Steven suggested. "Mayor Dewey seems to like you."

"Mayor Dewey; is he the man who drives around with a truck with his face on the top?" asked Pearl.

"Yes," said Steven.

"I don't think I would like a man who kills insects for a living," said Pearl.

"That's the other man who drives around with a truck with his face on the top," said Steven. "Mayor Dewey is the town leader. He lies to people to try to get them to feel better."

"That's not very promising," said Pearl.

"It's not that bad," said Stan. "People like being lied to sometimes."

"It doesn't even have to be men that you date," said Mabel. "It seems like you might like women better."

"I believe I would find a female more compatible," said Pearl.

"I'm starting to think I'm the same way," said Mabel. "Relationships with guys just haven't been working out." She gave Steven a cold look.

"But what about the child issue? I couldn't do what Rose did, if I ever chose to," said Pearl.

"That's not a big issue these days," said Mabel. "All you need is a donor, and you never have to meet him in person."

"Good. As you said, Mabel, you are an expert on inter-species romance," said Pearl. "I will accept your help."

"Yay!" said Mabel. "I'll do my best for you."

"When shall we have our first date? I am free tonight," said Pearl.

"You mean, you want to date me?" asked Mabel, blushing.

"You have qualities that remind me of Rose: tenderness, humor, and a love of living things," said Pearl. "Besides that, you have courage in standing up for what you believe."

"Wow, really? But I'm so young for you."

"All humans are thousands of years younger than I am," said Pearl. "Since you are a young member of your species it will give us a few more years to get to know each other as friends."

"You're so beautiful and graceful, Pearl," said Mabel. "Also smart. I know how to get along with smart people. All right, I'll give us a chance."

"Are you sure about this, sis?" asked Dipper.

"I believe in giving romance a chance," said Mabel. "Wherever I find it."

"Come back with us and I will show you around the Temple where I live," said Pearl.

"All right," said Mabel with a giggle. "Don't wait up, Dipper."

"I guess that leaves me to hang out with the Authors," said Dipper. "I have so many questions, more things to learn about Gravity Falls."

"For a while," said Future Dipper. "Then we have to report back to Time Headquarters."

"May I please pet-sit Waddles while you're away, Mabel?" asked Future Mabel.

"You may," said Mabel. "I'm sorry you didn't get a Waddles in your time-line."

"Thanks, sister," said Future Mabel.

Garnet bubbled up the shards of Tourmaline.

"What will happen to Tourmaline?" asked Dipper.

"She will go into containment storage for now, with the other monsters," said Garnet. "Someday, we hope that Steven will fully regain his healing powers. We will first restore fallen comrades on our side, like Emerald and Aquamarine. Eventually we hope to reconcile even Tourmaline."

"So there will be more friendly Gems on Earth some day?" asked Dipper.

"We hope so. There's also the problem of very unfriendly ones who would still colonize Earth if they could," said Pearl. "But we have sworn to protect this planet with our lives."

"What an awesome girlfriend I've found!" said Mabel. "You're a true hero."

"You two are quite the heroes yourselves," said Pearl.

"We'll help you if we can," said Dipper.

"Thank you," said Garnet. "Though I doubt it will be necessary."

"Ready? Let's move out," said Amethyst.

"Yeah!" said Steven. "We did it again."

"We are the Crystal Gems," sang Garnet.

"We always save the day," sang Pearl and Amethyst, joining in. "And if you think we can't..."

"We'll always find a way," sang Steven.

"That's why the people of this world believe in..." all sang.

"Garnet."

"Amethyst."

"And Pearl."

"And Steven!"

"And Mabel!"

THE END


End file.
